Bobbin clutch



Patented July 15, 1941 Iroru'riazo AsTma.s

Y 2,249,151 BoBiN CLUTCH 6PM-ENT y* orties `George H. Magrath, Whitinsvilleg'Mass. f

Application March 9,

1939,l Serial N 0. 260,680

This invention relates to bobbin clutches ofthe type having expansible clutching members which maintain the bobbin rmly in position during the spinning operation.

In bobbinV clutches of theaforesaidy type thelower ends of the clutching members are usually either mounted. directly Yon the whirl or are supported so that they extend into a recess formed .,inthe upper face ofnthe' Whirl, and in either .case their contacting surfaces usually extendthrough openings formed in a case which is secured to the blade independently ofthe whirl. Such constructions are subject to the objection that -due .to repeated `doiing of the bobbinthe whirl is apt to be driven down on the blade, thus" separating it from the case with a consequent displacement of the clutching memberswhich renders them inoperative. A further objection to such constructions is that when the'clutching 'members are contractedby the' bobbin there is 20 produced about their free ends agap in `which lint collects, with the result that the operation of vone or more of.v the clutching members is' impaired. Consequently, thebobbin is noti-maintained properlyV centeredand considerable vdamage mayl result,Y particularly when operating at high Speeds.

The princi-pal objects o-frthe present invention .are torprovide a bobbin clutch which overcomes :the aforementioned 'difficulties and tovprovide a v'bobbin 'clutch-Which is of simple design andof strong Vand durable constructiomwhich is eicient and reliable in operation, and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Further objects lrelate to vvarious features of construction, and -will be apparent froma consideration of thefollowing description and' ac-V companying drawing, wherein I Fig.- 1 is an' elevation, with parts broken away and shown in-section, `of a bobbin clutch constructed vinaccordance with the present inven- 'tion;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the'linesz--l'and Fig. is a .top plan View of the clutch .spring Vof the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 prior torperforming the shaping operations; and

.arecess 4 to accommodate-the 4lower end of .a

bobbin. clutchcomprising a Vgenerally cylindrical l member 5 having a dome-likecap or head 6 which has la press t on .the blade I, and a plurality of dependinglngers 'I and 8 vintegral with the head *A retain-ing member,- III loosely fits within the recess -4V of '-the'whirl :and is formed lwith an annular recess II whichrreceives the lowerends ofthe ngers'l and 8. f Y Y y -Ashere shown by Way of illustration, the clutch i.10:-may bemade from fa vgenerally cylindrical case bycutting-'itsfskirt portion Vlongitudinally to pro- `videyspringjngersil and stationary lingers 8 of substantially.: greater -Width vvthan the spring fingers 'I. 5After-having formed the fingers I and 15 8,"the casesmayfthenA be swaged in suitable dies solas to" compress -the-ngers and form convex surfaceswhichtbu'lge outwardlybeyond vthe ad- .:j acent iingers"8,and after." having yperformed the shaping operation the-case may then be tempered Y Y'so as' to impart' the desired degree ofresiliency' f-t-o the? ngers 1. Y The-lowerends ofkthe lingers 8:have a press z't withinithe recess 'VII vand'thus support theV #member I0 independently .of the whirl. The 5irfingers' 1,1 after having `been treated as aboveA .'described, are substantially thinner Y than theV fingersk-'ilrand rtheir lowerv ends loosely lit' the '-"recess II, thevWalls of which constitute stops limiting their inward and outward flexing movements. The con-struction and arrangement of the parts-are such -thatthe spring' lingers 'I vare nor- "mally-heldiagainst'the'outerWall of the recess I I andr-'areithuspositioned fr-ictionally to hold a bobbin place. fSincethesp-ring ngers 'I ad- 'iO-join theflstationaryngers Bfand are norm-ally ,held against thefouterwall of lt'hefrecess' II,V all I gaps 'and l*recesses -aref substantially eliminated, Vthusfm-inimizing, '-ifnoit "overcoming, the danger mi of 1linticollecting-'abut these parts.l

rvfilifhenfabobbin' i's'a-pplie'd labout the blade, its ibase seats fon 'the'fupper' face of'the whirl and fthe wallfo 'its `borejengages the spring fingers 'I i--which-f are flexed*-inWardly--about their upper inward movement being limited' :by theengagenient lof theiflower "endswith the'inn'er Wallf oiv thezrecess f'I I.'K "Although repeated do'fng offthe'j'bobbin mayresultinjdriving the whirl do-Wnwardlylon theblade, Ait w-illbe notedrthat V such"displacement'ofthejfwhirl does not aiect or Y Y eration of the VclutchV any .W'ay impair the op .mechanism j I Y l f l'nfthefembodirneit rshownin Figs. 4 to"6,'the clutcht me'cl'ianism" 5ft comprises a Y clutch; `spring having a substantially'"iiat.bodyportionll I Sriormed with a central opening to accommodate the blade I, and a plurality of depending expansible spring fingers I`6. The clutch spring may be made from a substantially flat spider-shaped metal blank BI (Fig. 5) which is subjected to swaging operations in suitable dies to form fingers IE having convex surfaces between their ends.

The clutch spring is held in position by the upper end of an inner case or supporting member I8 which has a press fit on the blade I and is positioned to clamp the body portion I5 against a cap piece 20 which also has a press fit on the blade I. The cap piece 20 is preferably domeshaped with its base portion conforming to the upper end of the clutch spring so as to present a smooth, substantially continuous surface therewith. The lower end of the supporting member I8 is provided with a flange 22 formed with a recess 24 in which the free ends of the spring fingers IB having a loose t the walls of the recess 24 constituting stops which limit their flexing movement as in the previously described embodiment. Y

In each of the embodiments herein shown, the clutch spring is firmly clamped in fixed position relative to the blade, and hence is securely anchored so as to withstand the shocks and stresses encountered in spinning operations. It will be further noted that in each of the embodiments the clutch mechanism and associated parts are supported independently of the whirl, and even though the whirl may be displaced by repeated doings, the clutch mechanism nevertheless remains operative. Moreover, the construction and arrangement of parts are such as to minimize, if not eliminate, an accumulation of lint or other extraneous matter about the clutch members, and hence a more reliable operation and a lower maintenance cost is assured.

While I have shown and described certain desirable embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various 'changes in shape, proportion, and' arrangementof parts,

as well as the substitution of equivalent elements l for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.'Y 'f I claim:

l. A bobbin clutch comprising a blade, a whirl mounted on said bladeforsupporting the lower end of a bobbin, said whirlhaving a circular recess concentricwith said blade, and clutching means mounted on said blade above said whirl forholding the bobbin in position on said whirl, said clutching means including a head member fixed to said blade anda plurality of depending fingers circumferentiallyy disposed about said blade and including outwardly bowed flexible spring fingers Vfor frictionally holding thefl'bobbin, said depending fingers defining an outer surface free 'from yarn-collecting irregularitiesand substantially preventing the entrance-of Iyarnlinto the interior of the clutch, and; an annular retaining member lpositioned within saidrecess in spaced relation to said blade, said retaining member having an annular recess in which the lower ends of said depending fingers are received` said head member, depending fingers and-retaining member constituting a unit structurally independent of said whirl and said retaining member being of such size and shape that it does not contact a bobbin when applied to, removed from, or seated on said whirl.

2. A bobbin clutch comprising a blade, a whirl mounted on said blade for supporting the lower end of a bobbin, and clutching means mounted on said blade above said whirl for holding the bobbin in position on said whirl, said clutching means including a head member fixed to said blade and a plurality of integral depending fingers circumferentially disposed about said blade and including alternate outwardly bowed exible spring fingers adapted frictionally to hold the bobbin in position, said fingers defining an outer surface free from yarn-collecting irregularities and substantially preventing the entrance of yarn into the interior of the clutch, and a retaining member circumposed in spaced relation about said blade and providing means for limiting the action of said alternate fingers, said head member, depending fingers and retaining member constituting a unit structurally independent of said whirl and said retaining member being of such size and shape and being so positioned that Vit does not contact a bobbin when applied to, removed from, or seated on said whirl.

3. A bobbin clutch comprising a blade, a whirl mounted on said blade for supporting the lower end of a bobbin, and clutching means mounted on said blade above said whirl for holding the bobbin in position on said whirl, said clutching means including a head member fixed to said blade and a plurality of integral depending fingers circumferentially disposed about said blade and including alternate outwardly bowed flexible spring fingers adapted frictionally to hold the bobbin in position, said fingers defining an outer surface free from yarn-collecting irregularities and substantially preventing the entrance of yarn intothe interior of the clutch, and a retaining member formed with an annular recess concentric with said blade, the lower ends of said alternate fingers loosely fitting within said recess and the lower ends of said other fingers having a pressed fit within said recess and supporting said retaining member independently of said whirl, said head member, depending fingers and retaining member constituting a unit structurally independent of said whirl and said retaining member being of such size and shape and being so positioned that it does not contact a bobbin when applied to, removed from, or seated on said whirl.

4; A bobbin clutch comprising a blade, a whirl mounted von the blade for supporting the lower end of a bobbin, and clutching means mounted on said blade above said whirl for holding the bobbin in position'on said whirl, said clutching means including a cap fixed on said blade in spaced relation to said whirl, a clutch spring having a body portion fitting against said cap and a plurality of circumferentially disposed depending spring fingers, and means supported independently of said whirl and defining an annular recess in which the lower-ends of said spring fingers are received for limiting their inward and outwardfiexing movements, said cap,

clutching means and the means limiting the flexing movements of said-spring fingers constituting a unit structurally independent of said whirl. Y y

5. A bobbin clutchv comprising a blade, a whirl mounted on theloladeV for supporting the lower end of a bobbin, and clutching means mounted on said blade above said whirl for holding the bobbin in position'on said whirl, saidclutching means including a cap fixed on said blade in spaced relation to said whirl, a clutch spring having a body portion fitting against said cap and a plurality of cireumferentially disposed outwardly bowed depending spring lingers defining an outer surface free from yarn-collecting irregularities and substantially preventing the entrance of yarn into the interior of the clutch, and a supporting member having its upper end xed to said blade and clamping the body portion of said .clutch spring against said cap, the

lower end of said supporting member having a flange formed with an annular recess in which the lower ends of said spring fingers are loosely received so as to limit their ilexing movements, said cap, clutch support, and supporting member constituting a unit structurally independent of said Whirl.

GEORGE H. MAGRATH. 

